Appellation
Côtes du Roussillon Villages
Identity card
VillageAOPRed
Languedoc-Roussillon · Recognised on 28 March 1977
- Village
- Regional
Key points
- Red wine only: the appellation makes no white or rosé.
- At most 45 hl/ha and at least 12.5% natural alcohol.
- Mourvèdre and Syrah: at least 30% of the vines; Carignan: at most 60%.
Grape varieties
Red wine onlyCarignanGrenache NoirMourvèdreSyrah
Accessory varieties: Lledoner Pelut (20% at most of the blend)
Carignan, Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, Syrah · at least 80% of the holding's vines
Mourvèdre, Syrah · at least 30% of the holding's vines
Carignan · 60% at most of the holding's vines
At least two varieties; the leading one: at most 70% of the vines, 80% of the wine
Each geographical name has its own list and thresholds
Production rules
45
hl/ha
Maximum yield
12.5
% ABV
Minimum natural alcohol
Minimum ageing: Until 31 January, or 15 September (Les Aspres, Tautavel), of the following year
- Maximum yield
- How much wine a hectare may produce under the appellation (a higher, exceptional ceiling often exists). The lower it is, the less can be made: one of the levers on how concentrated the grapes are. For reference: 35 hl/ha to 80 hl/ha across 90 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum natural alcohol
- The alcohol the grapes' own sugar must be able to give, without enrichment: a ripeness threshold at harvest. For reference: 9 % ABV to 13 % ABV across 85 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum ageing
- A minimum ageing period the specification requires before the wine may be sold to consumers.
Terroir
- Lie of the land: Slopes, hills, ravines, terraces from the Agly to the Réart
- Soils: Schist, clay-limestone, gneiss, granitic sand
- Climate: Mediterranean; tramontane 1 day in 3; 450–650 mm a year
Wine style
- deep colour
- red or black fruit
- warm, powerful
- balanced tannins
- often a spicy finish
Boundaries: INAO, AOC vineyard plot delimitation (September 2026 edition) · Open Licence
Specification
26 November 2025
Order of 26 November 2025 approving the specification of the AOC “Côtes du Roussillon Villages” (JORF no. 0283 of 3 December 2025, text no. 44; published in the Bulletin officiel of the Ministry of Agriculture, BO no. 50 of 11 December 2025). Appellation first recognised by the decree of 28 March 1977.
Labelling terms
- Five names: Caramany, Latour-de-France, Les Aspres, Lesquerde, Tautavel
- With a geographical name: at most 42 hl/ha instead of 45
- Caramany, Lesquerde: Carignan is vinified by carbonic maceration
- Les Aspres: at least three varieties, no Lledoner Pelut
- The larger geographical unit "Grand Vin du Roussillon" may appear
Nearby appellations
Sources
- Official sourceCahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Côtes du Roussillon Villages »— Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO) / Ministère de l'agriculture
An appellation for red wine only, across 51 communes or parts of communes of the Pyrénées-Orientales, between the Corbières massif to the north and the Tech to the south. It was recognised in 1977 over the area of the former "Corbières supérieures du Roussillon", north of the Têt; the Les Aspres name has extended it southwards since 2017. Its reds blend at least two varieties, mainly Carignan, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah, with Lledoner Pelut as a minor addition. The name may be followed by one of five geographical names: Caramany, Latour-de-France, Les Aspres, Lesquerde or Tautavel.
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